Sometimes when we invite a time of space, we find we still have to make room for it. We have to create space for that space. I’m seven days in to the luxurious gift of a. whole. month. off. I’m a quarter of the way through, and it’s taken this full week to settle into vacation mode. I have a hunch that this weekend, when I enter a space that is brand new, a space that is iconic and quintessential to the specific geography I’m exploring, this distraction-free zone and immersion into place will be the ticket to finally saying, I’m here. I’m away.
Sure, there are times when we jump into holiday festivities right away…within an hour of leaving the office or setting out from home we are welcoming new vistas on the open road and we can feel the space opening around us. And perhaps this process is the easiest during midweek ‘getaways’ - that coffee shop meet up with a friend, or hosting a dinner gathering. We step into those beautiful moments of time off naturally. But I want to address those instances where checking out of work mode and into time off feels more blurred, less precise.
Time out with my sister is my very favourite way to take time out.
I came into this week without agenda, and that is truly a gift. I left my plans open on purpose, ready to respond to the where and when of what came my way. Almost without thinking, however, this week I settled into a natural rhythm of slow mornings at my laptop, attending to work calls and emails, and before I knew it the morning had passed and lunchtime was fast approaching. Each day, I caught myself and quickly tried to change gears and head out into my beautiful surroundings, mentally shaking off the sense that I was needed anywhere other than right here. I’m needed here, I thought, because I’ve taken this time to step away and this place has so much to teach me, to uplift me, to fill my days with purpose and presence, and replenish me.
As someone who values mini moments of time out, pockets of space amidst every day routine, I’ve felt a pull to add further intention to my designated time away. It doesn’t have to mean loading up a to do list; rather, simply bringing an awareness to the space available and allowing that space to spread itself out.
There’s no harm in attending to priority action items, of course. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with establishing a routine on the road. Evening puppy snuggles that make the space feel like home? Sign me up! When it comes to work, I’ve cushioned my rationale within the feeling that it will be less overwhelming to step back out of vacation mode and into work mode if I keep up along the way…but it’s all too easy to discount the value of using this special time as it was originally intended: as precious time away.
Because the nature of my work is such that I work independently while in the office, and I can chip away at a fair amount of projects remotely, the decision to put things on hold when I can try to keep up - as I have this week - becomes more fluid. This post is simply a reminder of the value of intentionality behind our time, whether we are at home or away. You can be away from it all, and yet very much ‘in it’ if you aren’t intentional about stepping away. I literally crossed an entire ocean and landed in another hemisphere and yet I’ve run the risk of ‘business as usual.’
It’s no secret that millions of people find themselves working while on vacation. But it’s been helpful for me to bring some extra awareness to the intention I’d set behind this time - back at the time of making space on the calendar, at the time of brainstorming how best to use this time (it can be just as purposeful to keep the calendar clear!), and now discovering how to spend this time in practice. This piece then, for me, is an invitation to let the purpose be in this place, rather than the status quo or my norm back home. This is what I value! It’s what I believe in and champion for others! It’s time to take some time out! I can’t wait to report back soon…
-Ali
